Fresh produce growers in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand are assessing the damage to crops after severe hailstorms hit the area last week.
According to Radio New Zealand, topfruit and stonefruit crops were the most vulnerable to the storm, with Hawke's Bay representing the largest apple and pear production region in the country.
Fruit growers' president Leon Stallard told Radio New Zealand that early estimates have suggested up to 10 per cent of the region's apple export crop may have been damaged by the hail, amounting to a loss of 0.5m-1m cartons of fruit.
He added that many growers face a bleak year financially, with the hail damage coming on top of cold conditions experienced during the flowering stage of production.
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